SUNBURN:
Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun.
SYMPTOMS:
Common symptoms in humans and other animals include:
- Red or reddish skin that is hot to the touch or painful
- General fatigue
- Mild dizziness.
HOMEMADE REMEDIES:
- Take frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve the pain.As soon as you get out of the bathtub or shower, gently pat yourself dry, but leave a little water on your skin. Then, apply a moisturizer to help trap the water in your skin. This can help ease the dryness.
- Use a moisturizer that contains aloe Vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin.If a particular area feels especially uncomfortable, you may want to apply a hydrocortisone cream that you can buy without a prescription. Do not treat sunburn with “-Caine” products (such as benzocaine), as these may irritate the skin or cause an allergic reaction.
- Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling, redness and discomfort.
- Drink extra water.A sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface and away from the rest of the body. Drinking extra water when you are sunburned helps prevent dehydration.
- If your skin blisters, allow the blisters to heal.Blistering skin means you have a second-degree sunburn. You should not pop the blisters, as blisters form to help your skin heal and protect you from infection.
- Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals.Wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors. Tightly-woven fabrics work best. When you hold the fabric up to a bright light, you shouldn’t see any light coming through.
FOOD AND VITAMIN TO SOOTH SUNBURN PAIN:
- Apply cool, not cold, MILK with a clean cloth to your sunburned skin. The milk will create a protein film that helps ease sunburn discomfort.
- Like milk, YOGURT applied to sunburned skin also can be soothing.
- VITAMIN E is an antioxidant, and can help decrease inflammation caused by sunburn. Use VITAMIN E oil on the skin, or take a regular dose of the supplement. Vitamin E oil also can be rubbed onto peeling skin.
- CUCUMBERS have natural antioxidant and analgesic (pain relieving) properties. Chill cucumbers, then mash in a blender to create a paste, and apply to affected sunburned areas including the face. Cucumber also can be soothing for peeling skin following a sunburn.
- Boil and mash peeled POTATOES, let cool, and apply as a dressing to sunburned areas. It is believed the starch in the potatoes helps draw out heat, which may reduce pain and speed healing.
- CORNSTARCH also can be mixed with water to form a paste that can be applied to skin to help soothe the sunburn.
MEDICINE FOR SUNBURN PAIN RELIEF:
- Take OTC pain relievers like non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) to help relieve sunburn pain and inflammation.
- Topical over-the-counter(OTC) 1% hydrocortisone cream may help relieve sunburn symptoms such as pain, itch, and swelling.